Chapter 2

Draco had left her alone to her thoughts after that and Hermione found that her mind was plagued by the thoughts of the blonde. She was thinking about her past relationship with Draco. After all these years he seemed so different yet somehow the same. Helping her and offering to spend the night in his house was one thing but picking her up so she didn't have to walk and tending to her injury was something else entirely. She was definitely not expecting that.

It was still raining heavily and the sound of the rain against the rooftop reminded her of gunshots. Inspite of a dim fire which was lit in the fireplace she was shivering. She pulled the sheets closer to herself and curled up in a fetal position on the bed.

She wondered what would have her life been like if they hadn't ever broken up.

Her train of thoughts was broken by a knock on the door. A second later Draco walked in.

"I'll be in the room next to yours. If you need anything just give Mippy a call" he said. It was quite dark inside the room so she couldn't tell his expression but nodded.

He examined her for a minute. "Are you still feeling cold?" he she could reply he walked inside and sat on the bed beside her. He pressed the back of his palm against her forehead.

"Do I have fever?" she asked in a low voice.

"I don't think so. Does it feel like it?"

"Yeah, a little"

She caught hold of his hand and sighed. "You're so warm" she whispered through half lidded eyes. She held it with both of her hands, near her chest trying to absorb all the warmth from it.

Draco didn't stop her instead he sat in that position for a few minutes, staring at her moist hair, pink cheeks and half-open mouth. He was expecting that she would let go him after a while but it looked like she had fallen asleep.

"Hermione?" He tried to move his hand but she wouldn't let him budge. Instead she pulled him closer.

"Stay here" she said so quietly that he almost couldn't hear it.

After a little hesitation he climbed onto the bed, occupying the little space beside her making sure to not move his hand. As soon as she had sensed him, she snuggled closer to him and put an arm around his chest.

Draco was unsure of what to do but she seemed so cold and vulnerable at that moment. He couldn't help but pull her closer and hold her in his arms. He pulled the sheets over themselves and closed his eyes, soon drifting into deep sleep.

…

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in a dark, unrecognizable space. For a second her mind was completely blank and she couldn't recollect anything. Gradually, she noticed that she felt very warm. She turned her head to look around and that was when it hit her.

She was snuggled up in the arms of her ex-boyfriend and with a gasp the events of last night came back to her.

Hermione started panicking, the haze from her mind finally seemed to clear and she realized what she had just done. Beside her, Draco Malfoy still seemed to be fast asleep. He had his arm around her waist and his face buried inside her neck. She carefully lifted his arm and placed it aside making sure not to wake him and slowly crawled away from him. She got out of the bed and was tip-toeing outside the room when a voice made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Going somewhere?" Draco asked in his lazy, husky morning voice.

"I'm leaving. You don't expect me to stay here forever, do you?" she asked in what she hoped was a normal voice.

"Yeah but what's the hurry? Maybe you could stay for breakfast?" he said walking towards her.

"I can't do that" she said and hurried out of the door before he could stop her again.

Several minutes later Hermione was standing in the living room of the Manor. She had found and dried her clothes and dried them with a quick spell.

"Hermione, stop!" Draco descended down the stairs with confused look on his face.

She inwardly groaned.

"What changed? Is something wrong?"

"I really don't want to talk about it now"

"Something is obviously bothering you. Just tell me, maybe it'll help"

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" she shouted in his face all of a sudden.

"Oh that's convenient. Now that you don't need my help anymore you're going to go back to being a bitch!" he said bitterly.

"You just called me a bitch" she said in an accusatory tone.

"Because you are acting like one"

Hermione turned around and held her head in one hand. It looked like she was having a panic attack.

"What is wrong with-"

"I have a boyfriend!" she blurted out.

Draco was taken aback. As far as he knew Hermione had not dated any bloke since the end of the war, but then again he was not that involved in her personal life.

Hermione was silent. Saying the words out aloud it made her even more aware of it. Her guilty conscience weighed down upon her and she lowered her head in shame.

He had inched near her in the meantime and stood very close to her. "Herm-"

"Don't!" She managed to choke out. "It was a mistake. Last night was a mistake."

"You're overreacting. Nothing happened between us last night, we just slept, I promise. I wouldn't have stayed if you asked me to." He said earnestly.

There was no reply.

Hermione looked guilt ridden and miserable. As if she had committed a very heinous crime. Her face had turned pale and it looked like she was on the verge of crying, making him wonder just which bloody guy was she dating.

"Are you listening to me?" He tapped her shoulder to pull her out of her thoughts and she jumped. "Hermione it's okay-"

"No it's not. Draco I have to leave at this instant. I can't stay here longer" she said in a panicked but stern voice. "Fine" he said and grabbed some floo powder. "Here" he handed it to her.

Hermione hastily took it in her hands and left without looking back.

A/N- That is the second chapter. Thankyou for the support and reviews. I would love to hear your feedback on this chapter too. And I changed the name of this story from 'A second chance' to 'Through thick and thin' because I felt the latter was better.